Sopes: History and Recipe for a Delicious Mexican Dish.
Sopes: History and Recipe for a Delicious Mexican Dish.
By Gabriela Gomez
History.
One of the Mexican foods that is an important part of Mexican gastronomy from pre-Hispanic times to the present is sopes. It is a dish that we all love and can be found anywhere in Mexico, but it is hardly fresh and available in other countries. That's why today I'm going to teach you how to prepare them.
Sopes are also one of the easiest recipes to make and can be prepared for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
"Sopes have their origin in the pre-Hispanic cultures that inhabited the center and south of our country, but it is believed that it was the Toltecs who created them. Over time, this dish spread throughout the country and obtained its recognition as one of the favorite garnachas among Mexicans."
Some sources say that the Toltecs were the ones who invented sopes. They used to cook a kind of "corn bags" on griddles to transport deer meat when the ancient warriors went to the battlefield.
With time and the arrival of the Spanish, especially the evangelizers, a nun - whose identity is unknown - decided that these bags of meat could be a delicious daily meal. Gradually, the recipes were altered until they reached the form we know today.
The preparation of sopes varies depending on the place. For example, in Nayarit, the tortillas are dipped in an ancho chili sauce and oil. They are also filled with beans, potatoes, sliced lettuce, onion, cheese, etc.
There are many variations of the dish, and in Mexico, you can prepare sweet or savory sopes with different types of corn. Today, we are going to learn one of the most popular and traditional ways to make them.
My Story with Sopes
I remember that when I lived in the State of Mexico, sopes were one of my favorite foods because they contained all my favorite ingredients. Additionally, they were not too big, so regardless of my age, I could hold and eat them without a problem.
One of my favorite things about sopes is that they can taste different depending on the sauce and meat used. It's really hard to get bored of them because there are so many different ways to make them.
Another one of my favorite things is that they are a budget-friendly dish. All the ingredients are easy to get and very cheap, making them an excellent option if we are trying to save money while being healthy.
Finally, many people like to dip them in oil after cooking to add a crunchy touch. Personally, I like them without oil, and that is the recipe I would like to share with you today.
Sopes Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of corn flour
- 100 g of chicken or meat of your choice
- 1 cup of lukewarm water
- 1/2 cup of mashed beans
- 1/4 cup of shredded lettuce
- Avocado (to taste)
- Cheese (to taste)
- Cream (to taste)
- Sauce of your choice
Procedure:
1. Boil the chicken for approximately 20 minutes, or until it is tender. Once off the heat, shred it.
2. Combine the flour with the warm water to form a hydrated dough. You will know that it has enough water when flattening it with your hands does not break the edges.
3. Form balls of dough and flatten them to approximately a 3-inch radius and a 0.5-inch thickness, not as flat as a tortilla. Cook them in a frying pan over low heat for 3 minutes on each side.
4. In a small pot, heat the beans with a little oil to make them creamy.
5. Finely chop the lettuce, grate the cheese, and prepare the sauce.
6. Take one of the prepared dough bases for sopes and use your fingers to shape
the characteristic sope edges.
7. Spread some beans on the dough base, and then add the chicken, lettuce, cheese, sour cream, avocado, and sauce on top.
Your sopes are ready! I hope this simple recipe is useful to you and that you enjoy preparing and eating them.
Next time, I'm going to show you some of the most popular sauces in Mexico, including a slightly milder version for those who don't like spicy food as much, and a spicier version for those in Mexico who haven't been able to find a salsa with enough heat.
Thanks for reading my blog this week. I'm very excited to share more recipes with you! Please comment if you have tried different types of sopes or the traditional ones and let me know which are your favorites!